A dead humpback whale, which washed up on a beach near Crescent Head, will be difficult to remove and might be impossible.
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The nine-metre whale carcass washed up on a remote strip of Crown Land on Big Hill Headland next to Limbeburners Creek National Park yesterday, October 22.
The carcass is estimated to be around 10.5 tonnes and in an advanced state of decomposition. While it only washed up yesterday, it has probably been deceased for around a week.
The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is providing technical advice to Crown Lands on possible options to remove the deceased whale.
"The carcass is in slippery rocky terrain which is exposed to the ocean, making removal options extremely difficult and dangerous," a NPWS spokesperson said.
Authorities are considering if removal of the carcass is possible.
A 20-tonne whale carcass floated ashore at Port Macquarie's Nobbys Beach in September 2017 and was controversially buried on the beach.
In response to community outrage over the potential environmental impacts of the rotting carcass, and a petition with thousands of signatures, council later exhumed the whale and disposed of it in landfill.
The operation involved the use of heavy equipment and chainsaws on the beach to break up the whale carcass and load it into lined skip bins. The bins were lifted off the beach by a 220 tonne crane and trucked to the Cairncross Waste Management Facility.
DPI Fisheries has issued a shark alert on the Shark Smart App and Surf Life Saving NSW will put up signs to warn beach users.
Authorities are urging all beach users to avoid surfing and swimming due to the risk of increased shark activity in the area.